Home and away, Hollingworth's a record spender

In his first year as Governor-General, Peter Hollingworth spent $900,000 on travel, more than twice as much as his predecessor, Sir William Deane, did in his last year of office.

Dr Hollingworth's bill for cars, VIP aircraft, domestic and international commercial aircraft, and accommodation while away from his residences, totalled $895,280 in 2001-02, the official secretary to the Governor-General, Martin Bonsey, told a Senate committee yesterday.

Sir William, in comparison, spent $430,500.

Dr Hollingworth also spent $300,000 on remodelling his private quarters at Government House, Yarralumla, and another $45,096 refurnishing it, Mr Bonsey revealed.

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Mr Bonsey said the quarters - which previous governors-general had put up with, unaltered, for 12 years - suffered design defects.

Staff entered through a door next to the Hollingworths' bedroom, causing a lack of privacy; one had to climb into the spa to have a shower; access to the very nice deck outside was "difficult".

The problems were rectified with the removal of the pillars and insertion of steel supporting beams, new french windows to the deck and a reconfigured bathroom.

Then the suite had to be refurnished with, among other things, a $5909 rug and two armchairs costing $6660 - not John Howard-style Chesterfield tubs, Mr Bonsey assured - and nine lamps at $4542.

Not that Dr Hollingworth spent all his time luxuriating in his new surroundings; less than 60 per cent of his time in office, or 353 of 589 nights, were at Yarralumla.

He slept 79 nights at Admiralty House in Sydney, 44 in Victoria, 26 in Queensland, 18 in Western Australia, nine in the Northern Territory, five in South Australia, two in Tasmania as well as 30 overseas. No details were given for 22 nights, when he was on holidays.

Mr Bonsey said Dr Hollingworth needed to visit widely in his first year and that his term coincided with the second half of the Centenary of Federation. He also made several overseas trips, at a total cost of $179,228.

G-G's costs met by church

An inquiry by the Anglican Church into the handling of child sex abuse complaints by the Governor-General, Peter Hollingworth, and church leaders will not be able to resolve the issues before it, according to one of the inquiry's two commissioners.

The emeritus professor of child development at the University of South Australia, Freda Briggs, said only a federal royal commission with the necessary powers and resources could adequately address the situation.

Her comments came as the Anglican Church revealed it agreed to pay Dr Hollingworth's legal expenses at the inquiry after he asked it to do so.

None of Dr Hollingworth's accusers, including abuse victims, have been offered similar legal help, but a spokesman for Dr Hollingworth's successor as archbishop, Phillip Aspinall, said anyone who believed they needed assistance could make a request.